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Connecticut’s Democratic governor is clamping down on residents violating coronavirus orders to show he is “serious” about the issue.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced the state’s first fines issued to two Connecticut residents who reportedly failed to comply with his COVID-19 travel advisory, reiterating at a news conference this week that his administration wants to “send a message loud and clear” to potential violators.
(Source FOX 61)
The state Department of Health issued Connecticut’s first penalties to a pair of residents who allegedly did not follow the rules and fill out a travel advisory form after returning from trips to Louisiana and Florida, two states that are part of over 30 locations listed in Lamont’s Executive Order.
Lamont told reporters Monday that the two people were hit with $1,000 fines because they failed to fill out the health forms. One of the residents was fined an additional $1,000 for failing to self-quarantine for 14 days upon return. That information was learned when a co-worker reportedly tattle-tailed to officials.
“We wanted to send a message loud and clear,” Lamont said during the press conference. “We have two folks who flew back to Connecticut, one from Louisiana and one from Florida. Neither filled out the form.”
“Overwhelmingly, people are doing the right thing. For those who don’t, please be on notice,” the governor said, reinforcing the state’s tough stand at a time of economic hardship for many.
Connecticut’s travel advisory says that “anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state that has a new daily positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average are directed to self-quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state.”
The state’s website also notes a phone number and email for “anyone wanting to report any violations of the self-quarantine order.”
The state’s chief operating officer, Josh Geballe, indicated that the two people who were fines are from Hartford and Windham Counties, though it was not even known if they had tested positive for the virus upon their return to Connecticut, according to Fox News.
“This is for real. We need people to follow these rules, we need people to comply,” Geballe said Monday.
“The message people need to understand is that there are more investigations going on, we need you to fill out the form,” he added. “If you need to quarantine then we expect you to do that and if not, there will be consequences.”
“Look I hate to do it, but we are going to be serious and show people we are serious about this,” Lamont said at the press conference.
“Overwhelmingly the number of people flying into our state from COVID-infected areas is way down. I think people are self-policing and self-regulating, but not all are,” he added. “We wanted to send a message loud and clear.”
The governor also noted that Bridgeport officials cracked down on several bars that he claimed were allegedly “masquerading as restaurants” and having “big parties.” they were “shut down by the city and had their operating licenses taken away.
Social media users slammed the Democrat-run state for its excessive fines and restrictions, with many on Twitter noting that leftists protesters would probably be exempt from the governor’s orders.
2 of Dems favorite things to do:
1. Grab power
2. Take yr money— Peter J. Dawson (@PeterDawsonUSA) August 12, 2020
I think Americans need to brush up on their Constitutional rights.
— LibertyLady (@1NationUndGd) August 12, 2020
Unless you’re doing this pic.twitter.com/EdzjtAIHdO
— ArtS2000Stinger (@S2000Art) August 12, 2020
Aweful. So basically 2 people got snitched on by a coworker gripped with fear about Covid. What is this, China? When did free America decide we will give up our freedoms so easily and give into totalitarianism idiology?
— Amberthorn (@Amberthorn19) August 11, 2020
Where does the money from the fines go exactly?
— Chops410 (@Chopsbuster410) August 11, 2020
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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